Safe and Sound
by Raindropsonroses99
Summary: This fanfiction follows the endeavors of Loki immediately following Thor (2011). Loki has landed on Earth and is now in the care of Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, and Darcy Lewis. Rating may change. (Tazertricks) [ON HIATUS]
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my first fanfiction on this site, so if I'm doing something wrong format wise please tell me! Anyway, This particular fanfiction begins where the first** ** _Thor_** **movie ended. Critiquing is appreciated, so please do not hesitate to do so! I do not own Marvel or any characters from it. Enjoy!**

"Loki, no!"

Loki watched as his brother's horror-struck face grew smaller and smaller as he fell into the abyss, until finally it disappeared altogether. Loki's body naturally tensed in preparation for the painful death that was inevitably awaiting him. Closing his eyes, he waited for the end.

Moments later, his eyes popped open. How was he not dead yet? Perhaps this was his fate, to fall for all eternity.

A lump settled in his throat. If indeed this was his fate, he knew that it was not undeserved. After his arrogant brother had been banished to Midgard and Loki discovered the truth about his lineage, that he was not Odinson but Laufeyson, he had gone to extreme lengths to impress his adopted father. In the process, he had nearly wiped out an entire race; his race. His judgment had been clouded by the blind need to prove that he was not the monster that his biological father was, but in doing so, that is exactly what he had become.

Loki was suddenly overcome with remorse; now he could never return to his home, to his mother. He winced, not wanting to think of all the pain that he had caused the Queen of Asgard. And now he could never make it up to her.

Black spots began to cloud his vision and Loki relaxed. He welcomed death, all of the pain and suffering would finally stop. Then he slammed into something solid.

000

Darcy Lewis knew that she was not destined for greatness. She would never be someone successful or important, like her boss/best friend Jane Foster. And, for the time being, she was content with her job as Jane's intern.

However, tonight her job spanned past filing papers and listening to her friends ramble on about the mysteries of the universe. She grabbed two steaming cups of Ramen Noodles out of the microwave and trudged out of the lab to where Jane sat, watching the sky. Their mentor and friend, Erik, had been watching over the lab while Darcy brought her food.

Now, Darcy sat in a lawn chair beside Jane, handing her one of the mugs. Jane accepted gratefully.

"He's gonna come back." Darcy said finally, breaking the silence.

"I know," Jane sighed, taking a deep sip from her cup.

"Look, you've been out here for three days straight," Darcy said when it became apparent that Jane was not going to converse with her, "And as your best friend, I feel the obligation to tell you that you need to shower." Jane pursed her lips.

"You want to look good whenever he does come back." She further reasoned. This seemed to make sense to Jane, as she reluctantly rose from her lawn chair.

"That's the spirit!" Darcy coaxed, "I got you a pint of chocolate ice cream back at the lab. You're welcome, by the way."

Suddenly, an object flew out of the sky, crashing to the ground a few yards in front of them.

Jane yelped something indecipherable and dashed into the cloud of dust the object had generated. Darcy cursed under her breath and followed cautiously.

As the dust settled, Darcy discovered her friend crouched next to a man who was most definitely not Jane's blonde, muscle-y space boyfriend. Not that the man lying in front of them wasn't good-looking. He was cute, but in a sweet, bookish way. His skin was almost translucent in the pale moonlight, unblemished save for a few bleeding scratches here and there. Judging from the way he was dressed, he was Asgardian.

"He looks like he's from Skyrim." Darcy remarked. Jane shot her a look of disapproval.

"Well, he's breathing," Jane sighed with relief, "Go get Erik."

Without another word, Darcy ran up the steps of the lab and found Erik Selvig pouring over his research. His brow was furrowed and his mouth was set in a thin line as he peered closely at one journal in particular.

"Erik," Darcy began, startling the Astrophysicist, "You need to come outside; you won't believe what just happened!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Thomas Lewis?" a sour-faced nurse called from a doorway. Darcy, Jane, and Erik all stood at once and moved to follow the nurse. She held her clip board up to stop them.

"Family only," the woman said, glancing meaningfully at Jane and Erik. Jane held her hands up in defeat and allowed Darcy to follow the Nurse through a set of double doors, deeper into the hospital.

"Miss Lewis?" A tall doctor had stopped inches from her face. Darcy stumbled back, barraged by the sharp sent of antiseptic.

"Yes…" She replied tentatively.

"Follow me." The man said, dismissing the nurse with a wave. Darcy followed him into a ward labeled ' _Recovery'_

"Remind me what happened to your cousin?" He said over his shoulder.

"He was testing one of my friend's moon-ray deflectors." She didn't miss a beat. She, Jane, and Eric had taken a moment to get their story straight before entering the hospital; Darcy had decided that the man would be her cousin, visiting from out of state ("You already have a space boyfriend" she had said teasingly when Jane protested "My turn!"). There had been a minor argument on the name they would use until they finally settled on Thomas, after Darcy's real cousin.

"On the roof?" The doctor paused a moment to raise a disbelieving eyebrow at her.

"The closer to the moon, the better," Darcy said matter-of-factly, "Someday, It will help astronauts survive longer out in space."

The doctor shot her another look that clearly broadcasted 'I'm sure' and led her down the hallway. An elderly man hobbled down the hallway toward the exit, his stainless steel walker barely holding him up. His ice-blue eyes locked with Darcy's and he winked at her.

"Creep," Darcy muttered under her breath as the doctor stopped at a door.

"Your cousin is very lucky," The doctor said gravely, "He suffered no serious injury, just a bump to the head. We had to put him under anesthesia though to do extra tests, so he may be a bit groggy."

 _Cute, delusional stranger,_ Darcy thought, _this should be fun_. Suddenly, the doctor's pager began to vibrate.

"I'll let you two talk in private for a bit," he said, glancing down at the device in his pocket, "I'll send someone by to check on him in a bit." And with that, he dashed from the room.

Darcy waited for the door to close completely before drawing back the curtains to where her 'cousin' was laying. They whooshed to the side as she took in the sight before her. She gasped in astonishment. Before her lay an empty bed.

000

Jane Foster threw open the hospital doors, followed closely by Darcy and Erik.

"Are you _absolutely sure_ he wasn't there?" she cried.

"For the fifth time, _yes_ I'm sure," Darcy sighed.

"Shit," Erik muttered. Jane opened the driver's side of their research van and hopped inside.

"Darcy, hurry up!" She called.

"I'm _trying_ ," Darcy huffed, tugging on the handle, but nothing was happening.

"Move that thing out of the way and let's go!" Erik yelled from the passenger seat, fiddling with his seat belt.

"What thing?" Darcy looked down and noticed a steel walker propped up against the door.

 _Strange,_ She thought, moving the walker to the side with the toe of her boot. The door opened easily.

"I suppose we should be happy that he didn't try to kill everyone on his way out." Jane sighed as the engine hummed to life.

"No, that's what _your_ boyfriend did." Darcy said snidely. Jane shot her a look through the rear view mirror, pulling away from the hospital parking lot with a screech.

"Where should we start looking?" Erik asked, dutifully scanning the landscape for any sign of the escaped god.

Someone cleared their throat from the back of the van. Jane, Erik, and Darcy turned simultaneously to discover the raven-haired stranger sitting calmly in the third row seat.

"Greetings," he said, "My name is Loki. I don't believe we've met."


	3. Chapter 3

Loki awoke to darkness. He lifted his head suddenly and immediately regretted doing so. White hot pain flared through his skull, nearly causing him to faint. He slowly tried to get out of the chair he was sitting in, only to discover that he was bound.

"Hello?" He called cautiously.

Suddenly, a bright light was shined in his face. Loki blinked, momentarily blinded by the sudden onslaught.

"Oh! Sorry!" A female voice cried. The light vanished, and Loki was once again rendered blind.

"Wha- Who?" Loki asked, confused. He was barely able to make out the form of a young woman. She was fumbling with what appeared to be a torch that ran off of some form of electricity.

 _Electricity_ , Loki thought with an amused smirk, _how primitive_.

"So, you're probably pretty confused," The woman began, "I'm Darcy. Hi. So, who are you?"

"I am Loki, Son of Od-" he paused. He had almost said 'Son of Odin' but could he still say that? Now that he knew that he was not the King of Asgards son, how should he present himself?

"My name is Loki." he said finally.

"Huh." Darcy nodded, "Well then, welcome to Earth, Loki."

 _Earth_ , Loki thought, _I'm stranded on Midgard then. How fitting._

"It's rather dark in here," he said, "Perhaps some light would be nice?"

"This is going to sound crazy," Darcy said, "But a few days ago, this big man-machine thing came and ripped up some of our power lines, and they haven't been fixed yet, so we don't have power right now. But Erik is setting up a generator in the back, so hopefully the lights will come back on soon."

Loki winced. He understood half of that explanation; he had been the one who sent said 'big man-machine thing' in order to prevent his oaf of a brother from ascending to power.

 _I had to do it,_ Loki wanted to say, _he would have soaked Asgard in blood._

"Perhaps I could have something for my head?" he said instead. The pain had subsided to a dull throb, but was still present.

Darcy blinked and looked away sheepishly, her green eyes illuminated by the soft glow of the electric torch she was still carrying.

"Yea, sorry about that…." She said, blushing, "I miiiight have tazed you…"

"Yea, was that completely necessary?" another woman had entered the room. She looked strangely familiar, but Loki couldn't seem to place her.

"In my defense," Darcy turned to the woman indignantly, "He _did_ break into our van."

"I can assure you that no 'breaking in' occurred," Loki said, "The door was unlocked." Well, with a bit of magic, it was. Silence. Both women turned to stare at him as though he had shed his skin and become a bilgesnipe.

The lights in the room flickered to life, but neither mortal took notice.

"The door was what?" The brunette's voice had become dangerously low, turning slowly towards Darcy.

"Whoa, don't look at me!" Darcy cried, "Erik was driving!" And with that, the second woman whisked out of the room

"I'd better go supervise this." Darcy grimaced, and Loki was once again left alone.

 _Now,_ he thought, _the matter of my bindings…_ He knew that he could escape easily, but where would he go? No, he was much better off with these mortals than he would be alone. He would use them to his advantage. However, the bindings had to go.

Somewhere outside, Loki heard people yelling. He caught the words 'millions of dollars', 'equipment', and 'research'. He grinned. They had bought his story.

Suddenly, Darcy appeared in the doorway with a cold compress. She gave him an unreadable look before placing the compress on his forehead unceremoniously.

"I don't know what you did," she said, watching him through narrowed eyes, "But I know for a fact that Erik locked the van." So close.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about," Loki said, giving her an innocent smile. Her cat like eyes stared him up and down, as though she were sizing him up.

"Why are you here?" She said finally.

"I was banished from my home." Well it was half true. While he hadn't been _banished_ , Loki knew that he could never return to his home, and wasn't that basically the same thing?

At that moment, the brunette stormed angrily into the room, followed by an equally-upset man.

"Jane, I swear I locked it!" The man said. Jane! That was it! Loki knew exactly who this woman was; Jane Foster, the mortal with whom his brother had become smitten.

"You!" Jane said warily, locking eyes with Loki, "How did you get out of the hospital?"

"Magic." Loki answered curtly, winking at Darcy. A flicker of recognition flashed in her eyes.

"No such thing." The man, presumably Erik, said quickly, but Loki caught the look that passed between Jane and Darcy. These mortals had indeed witnessed true magic then. He needed to choose his next words very carefully.

"I'm assuming that you've met my brother then?" Loki said nonchalantly.

"Thor!?" Jane squeaked. Darcy rolled her eyes.

"So you _are_ Asgardian?" Erik eyed Loki skeptically. _He doesn't believe me_ Loki thought.

"Can you prove it?"

Loki smiled up at his captors. Suddenly, his restraints disappeared. He stood up, brushing himself off. He grinned at the three stunned faces before him.

"Now, if you don't mind, I am rather tired. I think I'll retire for the night." And with that, he strode out of the room. Success.


	4. Chapter 4

**So, this next one is mostly fluff and a little exposition. Have I mentioned how much I hate exposition? Because I hate exposition. Anyway, school starts back up in a few days, so I'll be posting a lot less than I have; probably around once a week. Thanks for understanding! Enjoy!**

Darcy Lewis never expected anything profound to happen in her life. She certainly never expected to spend her Saturday night watching over a sleeping god, and yet that is exactly what she found herself doing.

"Well, we can't tie him back up." Erik sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I don't think he'll run or do anything stupid," Darcy said, "He needs us, and I'm pretty sure he knows that."

"We don't know anything about him!" Erik cried.

"Except that he's Thor's brother." Jane pointed out, "Darcy's right; if he wanted to escape, he would have by now." Darcy shot Erik a triumphant look.

Jane sighed. For a moment, Darcy could tell just how tired she really was. Aside from looking generally disheveled, the scientist was sporting prominent dark circles under her bloodshot eyes, and her shoulders drooped as though they were weighed down by some unseen force.

"Look, how about you go to bed," Darcy suggested, motioning to her friends RV, where she normally lived.

"I can't."

"You must."

"But-"

"Shhh. Sleep."

Darcy stood up and began ushering the astrophysicist toward the labs entrance. Before long, she began to follow willingly.

"I have a killer headache," Jane muttered as they descended the steps.

"That would be because you have been awake for over 48 hours straight." Darcy quipped as her friend unlocked her RV, "Do you need a Tylenol or something."

"Might," Jane's words began to slur together.

"Okay, well you just sleep," Darcy sighed, pulling a pill out of her purse and handing it to her friend, "You know where I am if you need me."

Within minutes, Jane was fast asleep. Darcy soon discovered that Erik too had succumbed to slumber.

"Just me, then." Darcy sighed, inserting ear buds into her ears. She set a playlist up on her IPod and shifted into a more comfortable position in one of the labs two armchairs. She stared at the sleeping man across from her. He had said that he was banished from Asgard, but why? She had the distinct feeling that he was not telling her the full truth.

She frowned. He certainly didn't look like a criminal mastermind. His leather-clad chest rose and fell gently with each breath. He wore his raven colored hair slightly longer than was fashionable; it was slicked back so that it cut off just below the nape of his neck. His eyes had a mischievous glint under all of the melancholy. Such blue eyes…

000

Darcy woke with a start to a loud rumbling sound. She stared around the room, bewildered. Suddenly previous nights events came rushing back to her.

 _Right,_ she thought, _sleeping god_. Her gaze flew to the couch, but it was empty. The rumbling started up again. Darcy shot to her feet. The sound had come from the kitchen. Her socks slid on the cool tile as she dashed toward the noise.

"What the hell-" Darcy stopped. Loki was standing next to the sink, fingers pressing the switch that ran the garbage disposal. He stared at it, mesmerized.

"What is this device?" He asked, pressing the button again.

"Stop that!" Darcy yelled as the machine roared to life, "It's just the garbage disposal."

Loki stared thoughtfully into the sink. He looked for all the world like a cat who'd just discovered a new play-thing.

Darcy heard footsteps from the living room. Erik Selvig shuffled into the kitchen, bleary eyed.

"Good morning." Darcy said wearily. He grunted in reply, sitting down heavily onto one of the bar stools that had been set up by the counter.

"Not a morning person, I take it?" Loki chuckled, amused. Erik speared him with a glare.

"Is Jane awake yet?" Darcy yawned.

"Yea, I'm here." Jane had already gotten dressed for the day, her damp hair had been pushed over her shoulder, fresh from the shower.

"Perfect." Loki grinned, "I have some questions for you."

"Actually, we have some questions for _you_." Jane seized the opportunity.

"Of course." Loki said, watching her expectantly.

"Well, um," Jane looked suddenly flustered, as though she was unsure where to begin.

"Whats your favorite color?" Darcy covered. Loki's eyes widened. Whatever he had expected to be asked, it certainly was not that. Darcy smiled at having caught him off guard.

"Er, green." He said slowly.

"How did you get here?" Jane asked, regaining her composure.

"I'm not entirely sure," He said, still studying Darcy.

"Well, you didn't come through the gate." Loki's head snapped to look at Jane.

"You know about the gate?" He asked incredulously.

"Yea… your brother told me." Jane explained, surprised by the Asgardians sudden reaction.

"Just how much has he told you?" He ventured, and Jane launched into an astronomy lesson about the nine realms. Darcy stopped paying attention about half way through, but she noticed that Loki was listening intently throughout the lecture. Erik had dozed off again.

This was going to be a long day.


	5. Chapter 5

Loki stared at his reflection in the full-length mirror before him. He had been given a muted green t-shirt and black jeans which he found to be slightly tighter than he liked. The clothing was much lighter in weight than he was used to, but it would suffice for the time being. There was a knock at the door.

"You almost done in there?" Darcy asked from outside.

"Yes, sorry." Loki scrambled to unlock the door. He found Darcy leaning against the opposite wall.

"Not bad." She observed with a smirk.

"What is the verdict?" Loki asked. After interrogating him all morning, Jane and Erik were discussing how they were going to handle the present situation.

"Still undecided," Darcy shrugged, "Are you hungry?"

"Um, not at the moment," Loki stuttered, caught off guard by the mortals sudden change of pace.

"Well I am." Darcy strode toward the front entrance, "How about pizza?"

Loki followed obediently, wondering what she meant by 'pizza'.

The town of Puente Antiguo was one of dusty browns and baked oranges, a balance disturbed only by the occasional neon sign announcing 'open' or 'free wifi,' whatever that meant. It was a small town, only a few blocks both in width and is length. Loki studied the buildings they passed.

"What's a PC Gaming Café?" He asked. Darcy swiveled her head around to study the service in question.

"It's a place where you can play computer games and eat food," She scoffed, "Yea that's a business that _really_ took off."

Loki made a mental note to ask what a 'computer' was later.

"Damn!" Darcy cried, slowing to a halt just in front of a partially singed building just ahead of them, "They still haven't fixed the pizza place!" She sulked down the street, scanning for a restaurant.

"There!" She cried suddenly, pointing at a building that read 'Pete's Burgers'. She opened the door and the scent of meat cooking wafted out. Much as Loki hated to admit it, it smelled delicious.

"Hi! Welcome to Pete's Burgers!" An overly-cheerful waitress chirped the moment they entered, "Table for two?"

"Yea," Darcy muttered, eyeing the waitress' shockingly blue eyelids warily.

"Right this way!" her blonde curls bounced as she led them to their table and set out menus, "I'll be back with some waters in a jiffy!"

"I hate these retro places." Darcy sighed, unfolding her menu. Suddenly, something began to chirp. Loki sat up straight, his bewildered eyes searching for the source of the noise.

"Relax, it's just my cell phone." Darcy said, producing a black rectangular box. She pressed a button and the screen lit up. Loki leaned in to study it, intrigued.

"Ugh!" Darcy cried, "My friends won't stop bothering me!"

"That doesn't sound like a terrible problem to have," Loki pointed out, and then, when he got no response, "What do they want?"

"They want me to go up to the lake with them, but I keep telling them I can't; I have work." She sighed, leaning back in her chair. Loki found it hard to believe that any body of water could be sustained in this desert, much less a lake.

Suddenly, Darcy's cell phone began to vibrate and chirp. She rolled her eyes, pressing it to her ear.

"For the last time, Amber, I told you…. Oh, Jane. Sorry!" She said apologetically, before listening intently.

"S.H.I.E.L.D IS WHAT!?" She roared, then, in a harsh whisper, "S.H.I.E.L.D is _WHAT_!?" Her face went red. Loki raised a confused eyebrow at her but she ignored him.

"They can't do that! They just gave all of your research back…" Her eyebrows knitted together in concern, "You have to go to where now?"

Loki tried to look as though he were not listening in on the conversation. He stared out the front window, where a middle-aged woman was walking her dog. The creature was tiny and covered in thick grey fur. The woman had placed a bow on top of its head. Loki scoffed. How utterly useless.

"Got it." Darcy removed the device from her ear, rising to her feet.

"Well," She said, "Looks like we're going to the lake."


	6. Chapter 6

**Authors note: Hey guys! I'm really sorry about how late this is, but Biology papers happened and this happens to be my longest chapter at this point. So yea. Here it is, and I will try to update again within the next week, but no promises.**

"I need a room for two," Darcy instructed a concierge. They had decided to stay at a hotel overnight while she worked out the details of their lakeside stay.

"Of course! One moment please." The concierge, a young man whose smile didn't quite reach his eyes, replied. Darcy glanced over her shoulder to check on Loki. The Asgardian was staring wide-eyed at one of a few televisions strategically distributed about the lobby. Darcy felt a stab of pity towards him; this all had to be overwhelming for him.

"And how long will you be staying with us?" the concierge's voice jerked her back to reality.

"Just for the night," Darcy replied.

"Righty then," The man said after a few moments of typing, handing her a room key, "Enjoy your stay!"

"C'mon, that means us." Darcy called to the man glued to the television. Loki tore his gaze away from the screen, grinning.

"I thought that there was no magic here!" he murmured excitedly into her ear.

"There isn't." Darcy rolled her eyes, "Stop being such a stereotypical alien." She lugged her duffle bag over her shoulder and led the way toward the elevator, which bounced slightly as they stepped inside. She smiled as her stomach dropped; Darcy had always loved that feeling. Loki, on the other hand, clung to the railing for dear life, as though the floor beneath them would open up to swallow them both.

The machine dinged, signaling their arrival at the third floor. The chrome doors slid open seamlessly.

"Okay," Darcy huffed, tugging the duffle bag out of the elevator, "Our room number is 325."

"Found it!" Loki called jubilantly from down the hall.

"Wha-"Darcy whirled around to face the elevator, where she could have sworn the Asgardian had been standing moments earlier. She turned back toward him- or, rather, where he used to be. He was now standing just to her left, though Darcy never heard footsteps. His blue eyes glinted mischievously, and suddenly realization dawned.

"Stop doing that!" Darcy snapped, "No magic, remember?"

On the car ride to the hotel, Darcy had explained the present situation, that a special government branch dedicated to 'supernatural alien-y stuff' had flown Jane and Erik up to Washington D.C. to share their research on the 'Thor incident'. Jane did not know when they would be back, but she stated in no uncertain terms that Darcy was to make sure that no one found out about Loki. In order to keep his identity a secret, they had decided that he should refrain from using magic whenever possible. After much grumbling and groaning, he reluctantly agreed.

"No one is around." Loki grinned playfully. That grin was really starting to get on Darcy's nerves.

"Still." Darcy muttered, unlocking the hotel room door. Loki gave an 'after you' gesture. She shot him a sideways glare. The second she stepped over the threshold, Darcy noticed a problem. A single, queen sized problem.

"There's only one bed!?" she shouted, face growing warm at the implications. Loki's expression was difficult to gauge, but his cheeks had grown faintly pink as well.

"Hold on, I can fix this." Darcy grumbled, eyeing a phone on top of the marble counter. She dialed the number that would connect her with the front desk.

"How may I help you?" A female voice answered after three rings.

"Yes, um," Darcy glanced at Loki, who was fiddling with a stray lock of hair, "There seems to have been a misunderstanding about our room; there's only one bed,"

"Of course, one moment please." Soothing music began to play through the receiver.

"They put me on _hold_!?" Darcy yelled, "Are you serious!?"

By this point, Loki had discovered the television remote. He held it up, studying it, trying to figure out its function.

"Don't touch anything," Darcy said over her shoulder, "We might be getting moved."

Loki gave her an indignant look but obeyed, setting the remote down gently onto the bed. They stood awkwardly for a few moments, unsure of what to say, so it was a relief when the receptionist finally came back on the line.

"Miss Smith?" The woman asked. Darcy grimaced at the lame pseudonym that she had come up with, wishing she had put more thought into it.

"Um, yea that's me," Darcy said.

"I'm very sorry, but all of our two-bed suits are full," The woman on the phone said apologetically.

" _SERIOUSLY!?_ " Darcy fairly shouted, startling Loki.

"I'm very sorry, ma'am," The woman said hastily.

"Look, its fine, thanks anyway," With that, Darcy slammed the receiver down, turning to face Loki, who stared at her with bewildered eyes.

"It looks like we're stuck here," Darcy sighed, trying with all her might to act as though sharing a room with a man she barely knew was commonplace.

"Oh," Loki said softly.

"So," Darcy said finally, in a weak attempt to dispel the awkwardness.

"So," Loki replied, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Listen, I can sleep in a chair or in the bathtub or something," Darcy offered, gesturing to the leather armchair that dominated much of the upper right corner of the room.

"What? Of course not!" Loki looked horrified at the prospect, "I would never ask that of you!"

"Is this because I'm your host or because I happen to be a female?" Darcy said flatly.

"Perhaps a little of both," Loki replied with a rakish grin. Darcy shot him a sideways glare.

"Fine," She sighed, "If only to satisfy your stupid moral code."

Darcy reached for the remote, turning the television on with a soft pop. She sat at the foot of the bed, her legs crossed to stabilize herself on the duvet. She motioned for Loki to join her. The Asgardian hesitated before sitting down stiffly. Darcy casually flipped through the various channels that the hotel had to offer.

"Welcome to-" Click.

"For just $19.99 plus shipping and han-"Click.

"That's _my_ man, you bitc-"Click.

"He's running, he's running, and TOUCHDOWN-"Click.

"Uuuuugh there's nothing on except for the Kardashians, and I'm not letting you watch that and get a warped idea of how things work here." Darcy griped.

"What's wrong these Kardashians?" Loki asked.

"Well, they don't really do anything but yell at each other, and yet thousands of people love them." She sighed.

"Are they the rulers of this realm then?" Darcy stifled a laugh.

"In a sense." She said, "Although I think the whole thing is stupid. Like why do so many people blindly follow such mindless idiots?"

"If I ever get back to Asgard, I can send an army and vanquish these Kardashians for you." Loki suggested after a moment.

"Sure, you do that." Darcy rolled her eyes. She laid back on the bed, groaning.

"This is not how I thought I would be spending my weekend," She mumbled, staring vacantly at the popcorn ceiling.

"I'm very sorry for inconveniencing you." Loki's voice had dropped to nearly a whisper.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Darcy said with more force than she had meant, "I didn't mean _you_ I meant the whole government kidnapping my friend's thing."

"Of course." He said. He was blushing again.

"Listen, enough about my problems," Darcy sat up, "We know virtually nothing about each other plus, we never officially met," She extended her hand in greeting, "Hi, I'm Darcy Lewis, I'm twenty-four and I'm working as an intern."

"H… Hi," Loki reached for her hand tentatively, chuckling nervously, "My name is Loki, I am one thousand forty-eight years old, and I am second in line to the throne of Asgard."

"One thousand forty-eight?" Darcy gasped.

"I suppose I don't look it here." Loki chuckled, "The aging process is slower in Asgard."

"Everybody's always going on and on about Asgard," Darcy's emerald eyes sparkled with intrigue, "What's it like?"

Loki took a deep breath, "Well…"


	7. Chapter 7

**Sooooo, I lied. But I have an excuse this time: I was sick and midterms. But now its spring break so hopefully I'll have more time. Enjoy guys, and thank you for the support!**

"We could have stayed for breakfast." Loki said through a mouthful of blubbery muffin. Darcy had made the executive decision to be on the road as soon as possible.

"No, we can have breakfast at the house when we get there," Darcy replied, twisting the key to start her modest sedan, "It's only two hours away."

"Yes, and where exactly are we going?" Loki inquired, taking another bite of the muffin.

"El Vado Lake," Darcy pulled out of their parking spot, "One of my brothers has a house up there and no one was renting this week, so he's letting us crash there."

"You have a brother?" Loki asked wearily. He and Darcy had talked for hours the previous night, and he couldn't recall weather she had told him already or not.

"I have two." Darcy said giving him a good natured shove.

"Indeed." Loki said absentmindedly as they passed a sign that read 'Now Leaving Albuquerque'.

The New Mexican landscape was mostly barren, save for a few cacti and the occasional tree. The dusty hills were lightly dotted with shrubbery. The entire area looked pastel and faded, and Loki was in constant awe of its beauty.

Loki decided that he loved being in a car. It was almost like riding a horse, except cleaner and less hot. He continued to revel in the sights of the New Mexican hillsides when Darcy's voice broke the silence.

"You're going to need an alias while we're there, ya know." She said.

"Pardon?" Loki turned to make eye contact, but she was watching the road dutifully.

"Well, 'Loki' is a little conspicuous, don't you think? It's not exactly a very common name here." She shrugged.

Loki thought for a moment. As much as he hated to admit it, she had a point.

"What do you suggest?" He asked.

"Well while you were in the hospital, we had called you 'Thomas'," and then, upon seeing his expression, said, "I mean we could call you Tom for short."

"I don't really seem the 'Tom' sort, do I?" Loki asked wearily. He didn't particularly mind the name 'Thomas', but it bore too many similarities to his adoptive brother's name.

"Well, Thomas is a pretty English name, "Darcy said matter-of-factly, "And you're a pretty English kind of guy."

'Ah," Loki said, unconvinced, "I suppose you know more about Midgardian culture than I do."

"Mid-whaty-what?" Darcy looked at him as though he had sprouted wings.

"Never mind." Loki sighed, turning back toward the car window.

000

"Yo, wake up." Loki felt something poking his shoulder. Turning to look, he realized that Darcy had opened the passenger door and was nudging him gently with the toe of her shoe. She was struggling to carry five brown bags at once.

"Here, let me help you!" Loki jumped to his feet, taking half of her load, "Where did these even come from?"

"I stopped off at the grocery store while you were asleep." Darcy said, and then, when Loki suddenly looked panicked "And no, I didn't need help."

"You should have woken me anyway," He mumbled, "Just in case."

"Well it's too late now," Darcy said, a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she made her way up the stone pathway to the building before them, "Besides, now you owe me."

Loki sighed. He didn't like the sound of that one bit. They came to a brief halt so that Darcy could unlock the heavy-looking door. Loki studied the house in awe; the entire thing appeared to be made of faded wood, save for the chimney, which was lined with flat stone. The porch on which they were standing seemed to be made of some sort of stone as well, although it was far too flat to be regular stone but not nearly smooth enough to be marble. The landscape around them had changed as well. They were now surrounded by impossibly tall trees which were topped with the thinnest suggestion of leaves. The air carried a strange scent; it smelled fresh and… green.

"Are you coming or what?" Darcy called from inside the house. Loki hadn't even noticed that she had gotten the door unlocked. He stepped over the threshold and found himself facing a long hallway, the end of which held a tidy kitchen. The tile floor gave way to a series of short stone steps, which placed the living room a few inches below the rest of the house. On side of the room sat a stone fireplace, which was surrounded by a number of arm chairs and a couch.

However, perhaps what intrigued him most were the book cases which regally flanked the fireplace. He read off the titles on some of the spines; Huckleberry Fin, Alice in Wonderland, Hamlet, and Harry Potter, whatever that was.

"Oh, those," Darcy said from the kitchen, eyeing Loki as he browsed, "Our dad was a pretty big classic novel enthusiast and he passed his collection down to my brother. He didn't really know what to do with them, so they wound up here, I guess." She shrugged and continued to unpack.

Loki delicately selected a particularly old looking book, the cover of which read 'The Odyssey' in gilded gold letters. He thumbed through its yellowing pages thoughtfully.

"I'll show you where your room is." Darcy said, making a 'follow me' gesture. Loki tucked the book under his arm for later use. Darcy had never specifically said that he _couldn't_ borrow it, after all.

Darcy led him down the long hallway, to a series of doors.

"My room," Darcy placed her hand on one door, "Bathroom," She patted the next door, "Your room." She twisted the knob on the last door, and it swung open with a creek. Loki poked his head inside and observed the twin beds within. It was small; barely a few feet larger than the beds themselves but it was cozy and would suffice.

"It's perfect," Loki said with a smile. And then the hallway was filled with buzzing. Darcy sighed and reached into her pocket.

"It's my friends," She said, taking out her cell phone, "The ones we're meeting, here I'll put them on speaker."

The phone beeped before making a loud crackling noise.

"Heeeeeeey!" Darcy said into the phone.

"Wassup girl!" A voice yelped on the other end.

"I'm here with my friend; the one I told you about." She nodded to Loki, holding the phone out to him.

"Erm… hello." He said. He still wasn't entirely sure how the device worked, but he seemed to be doing it right because the voice responded on the other end.

"Oh my god, hi!" It said at the same time another voice said, "Sup biotch."

"Oh my god Amber, shut up." The first voice snapped good naturedly, "Eyes on the road."

"I can do what I want Mandy!" The other voice, presumably Amber cried indignantly.

"If you two are finished," Darcy said, rolling her eyes, "I want to confirm our plan for tomorrow."

"I texted you about it earlier." Mandy said, "It's the same plan."

"Oooooooh okay great!" Darcy smiled, "Chris and Drew are meeting us, right?"

"Yep!" Mandy replied, "See you there?"

"Of course!" Darcy said, "Later!"

Loki sat in a state of confusion, completely in the dark about what was being discussed, never mind what said 'plan' was.

Darcy pressed a button and the phone went silent.

"Well then," She said, smiling, "I have lots of things to do before tomorrow."


	8. Chapter 8

**So, y'all know that I am literally the worst when it comes to pacing. Yeaaa... I apologize in advance for the pacing atrocity that you are about to read. Side note: This chapters format is messed up and I don't know whats up with that. I will try to have it fixed by the next time I upload. Also, this chapter contains a bit of strong language but nothing major. Just a disclaimer! Thanks for reading! :P**

Loki woke the next morning to a pounding on his bedroom door.

"Wake up!" Darcy's muffled voice called from outside. He got to his feet groggily and opened the door.

A bright tone pierced the doorway. "Mornin', sleeping beauty!" Darcy cried.

"I see someone's feeling chipper this morning." Loki drawled, sleep still fogging his brain, "What time is it, anyway?"

"About 8:30," Darcy smiled deviously, "Why? Too early for you, _Your Highness_?" She gave him a cheeky bow.

"No," Loki said, perhaps with a little too much force.

If Darcy had taken offense, she shook it off with grace. "Listen, just put this on and meet me out front in five," she ordered, tossing a black garment at him. Loki barely managed to catch it before he found himself holding a strange pair of shorts.

"I don't like the look of this!" he yelled down the hallway.

"You aren't supposed to!" came Darcy's muffled reply. Loki sighed, closing the door.

000

On his way to meet Darcy, Loki grabbed a piece of lukewarm toast from the kitchen.

"I'm afraid I look rather ridiculous," he grimaced, closing the heavy oak door behind him. The trunk of the car was up and a rustling sound from the back indicated Darcy's presence. She poked her head out from behind the vehicle, rolling her eyes.

"Don't tell me you've never worn shorts before!" She said, only half-teasing. "Plus, you're not supposed to wear a shirt with swim trunks."

"What?" Loki said, taken aback. "No, I couldn't possibly— It would be highly inappropriate of me to be in such a state of undress in the presence of a young lady."

"Yeah? Well, it would be ' _highly inappropriate_ ' of you to go swimming in a t-shirt." Darcy closed the trunk of her car with a metallic scrape. She shrieked, jumping backward.

"Darcy!" Loki dropped his toast and raced to where she was hunched over, "Are you oka—"

"I'm fine," Darcy said. "I'm sorry, I have no idea what that was!" She chuckled, brushing her hair from her face.

"I beg your pardon, Darcy," Loki swallowed nervously. He averted his gaze to the dusty gravel below him.

"What?" Darcy studied herself, finally noticing what had caused the Asgardian to become so flustered.

"It's just a bikini, chill!" she rolled her eyes. She blew off the awkwardness and crossed her arms in an attempt to hide her chest. It was obvious that she had not considered their cultural differences when she chose her outfit. Loki's cheeks burned as he realized that he had gravely misread the situation.

"Okay, so I packed lunch for us at the pool," Darcy said, eager to change the subject. "We're meeting some of my friends there, I hope that's okay?"

"What? Oh, yes, that's fine," Loki said, regaining his composure.

Darcy pulled the driver's side door open. "You talked to Amber and Mandy yesterday," she noted.

"They seemed... nice," Loki said politely.

"They take some getting used to, but you'll like them." The car hummed once Darcy started the ignition.

"How did you meet?" Loki asked, trying to make small-talk.

"I've known Mandy since middle school, but we didn't become friends until high school," Darcy explained. "And Amber was my college roommate."

"Is it just going to be us, then?" Loki said.

"No, Drew and Chris are coming too," Darcy smiled.

"Also friends of yours?" Loki asked, beginning to feel overwhelmed.

"Yea, Chris went into Biology with Amber and Mandy, and Drew went into Political Science with me." Darcy turned into a near-empty parking lot. Their destination was enclosed within a fence of sorts, though it was unlike any that Loki had seen. Just beyond it, a group of people were talking.

As he helped Darcy unload the trunk, Loki noticed the turquoise water glinting behind the metal fence.

"Hey, girl!" one of the group members, a young woman whose copper skin glistened with water droplets, called.

"Hey, Mandy," Darcy smiled in response, setting the picnic basket down on the table beside them. "We brought lunch!" she announced. Sitting at the table were two men who looked to be around Darcy's age. One of them had shaggy chestnut hair while the other was blonde and sported a spiky comb over.

"All right!" The brunette grinned as he and the other man descended upon the picnic basket.

"Who's your friend?" a petite blonde had materialized beside Loki and was eyeing him up and down. Loki was painfully aware of the five pairs of eyes which had settled upon him.

"Guys, this is Tom," Darcy addressed the group, "He's a foreign exchange student who's living with Jane, Eric, and I for the semester."

"Sup?" the dark haired man said, "I'm Chris, and that's Drew." He nudged the tall blonde man beside him with his elbow.

"Not bad." The short girl said, running her tongue along her teeth.

"Down, girl!" Mandy joked, "I'm Mandy and the cougar over there is Amber." She made a face at the blonde, who made a face right back.

"Hello," Loki said, uncomfortable among the strangers, "I'm Lo- er, Tom."

"Oooooooh and he's British!?" Amber cried, swatting Darcy's shoulder in a playful manner, "Someone's been reading my Christmas list!"

"SO!" Drew interrupted impatiently, "Are we going to swim or not?"

"I haven't put on sunscreen yet, but You guys go ahead." Amber shrugged.

"I'll get your back of you get mine." Chris waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"In your dreams," Amber retorted. Chris clenched his chest as though Amber had taken a knife to it and then followed Drew into the pool.

Loki glanced around awkwardly, unsure of what to do next.

"So," Darcy said in a hushed voice behind him, "That went well."

"I suppose so," Loki muttered.

"Yo, Tom!" Loki turned to meet Drew's almond eyes.

"We need one more for basketball, do you play?" Mandy called from the water.

"I'm afraid that I don't know what you are talking about." Loki shrugged apologetically.

"Get in here! We'll teach you!" Chris said. Loki couldn't think of any reason why he shouldn't try to have some fun while on Midgard, plus these mortals genuinely seemed to want him around. He reluctantly removed his shirt and took a tentative step toward the water, which soon turned into a full-blown sprint.

"Walk!" an irate voice yelled behind him.

"Sorry," Amber amended with a cringe. "I've been working as a lifeguard for the past few summers. It's a reflex."

Loki stepped into the water. It was uncomfortable warm against his alabaster skin as he waded to the group.

"Okay, so basketball right?" Chris said once Loki was within earshot, "Its pretty simple the way we play it." He produced an orange ball.

"We get into teams and then you and your teammates have to try and get the ball into that net." He gestured across the pool at a short contraption with a bottomless basket.

"If my team gets it in, then we get a point. Same goes for your team. Cool?" He was beaming. Loki didn't think he had ever met a person so consistently happy.

"Uh, sure," Loki mumbled, shrugging.

"Darcy! Amber! Get over here!" Mandy yelled to where the two in question were lounging by the poolside.

"Darcy and I are sunbathing," Amber called back. Her disproportionately wide hips swayed as she walked to the edge of the pool. Darcy ran up behind her and pushed before jumping in herself.

"Bitch!" Amber spluttered, gasping for air. Darcy had dissolved into a fit of giggles. Drew and Chris tried- and failed- to stifle their laughter. Mandy rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Chris and Tom are captains!" She had to yell to be heard over the commotion, "Pick your teams!" Chris nodded to indicate that Loki should go first.

"I, uh, choose Darcy." He said, embarrassed at the sudden attention. She swam to him obligingly.

"I don't know if this is a good idea," He whispered to her as Chris made his choice.

"Don't worry," Darcy gave him a reassuring smile, "You're tall. I'm sure you'll be a natural!"

He wasn't. In fact, Darcy was the first to score a basket.

"Hah!" she gloated, "Kneel before me, bitches!"

"You poor thing," Amber sighed, shaking her head in mock sympathy, "If only you had an ounce of self-confidence."

The game continued. Chris' team was crushing Loki's team. He knew that he had to come up with a new strategy fast; he would not admit defeat so easily. He studied their watery battlefield with expert eyes. On Chris' team, Mandy and Amber were on defense. It was obvious that Mandy was well-versed in the game, and while Amber did not have as much experience, her small size made her just as useful. Their captain was not a bad strategist himself.  
Loki reflected on his own battalion; he had put Darcy and himself on defense while he made Drew their center. However, his current method seemed to be failing, as the current score was 17/14.

"What's the plan?" Drew asked. Loki's brow furrowed. Perhaps if he switched Drew's and Darcy's positions…

"Drew, you're on defense," He ordered, "Darcy, you're up." Gone was Loki the scared and defenseless. He was now Loki the strategist, Loki the warrior.

The game started up again. Darcy hurtled the ball toward Drew but it was intercepted by Chris' height advantage. He attempted to pass the ball to Mandy, but his aim fell short and it landed a few feet in front of her. Loki yelled, diving for it before Mandy even had time to register what had happened.

"Tom! Here!" Loki's head swiveled to where Darcy was splashing just beside the net. He chucked the ball in her direction, but it bounced off of her awaiting hands and began to roll on the sizzling concrete behind her. It became a race between her and Amber, both of whom had hauled themselves out of the pool and were now competing in a mad-dash to retrieve the ball. Those left in the water cheered their teammates on. They reached the ball at the same time, each trying to pull the ball out of the others grasp.

"Aw yeah! Catfight!" Chris called with a good-natured smile.

"Chris, shut up!" Amber snapped, her momentary distraction allowing Darcy to wrench the ball away from her. Her feet slapped the hot concrete as she raced to the basket, where one smooth swish heralded their score.

Loki couldn't help but stare at Darcy as she basked in the glow of her triumph. He hadn't realized that she had a competitive streak. He would never admit it to her for worry of inflating her already oversized ego, but it was kind of hot.

'What am I doing?' he thought suddenly. He shook his head in an attempt to ward off any scandalous thoughts about his friend. After all, that _is_ what she was, wasn't it?

"Next team to score gets first dibs on lunch?" Drew suggested, indicating his rumbling stomach.

"You're on!" Chris cried enthusiastically.

The game went on for a few minutes more before Mandy tossed the ball into the net with a well-rehearsed move. Her team mates cheered as she surfaced, wiping water from her eyes.

"Who's hungry?" She crowed, grinning.

000

Darcy munched on her ham and cheese sandwich. She watched her friends, both old and new, re-tell the most eventful points in the game with pride. She couldn't help but laugh at how the stories grew more and more outlandish every time they were told.

"What did you get?" Mandy asked, leaning over Amber's sandwich.

"Hey, quit dripping on my stuff!" Amber protested, leaning as far away from Mandy as possible.

"That's what she said!" Chris and Drew were snickering in their shared lounge chair. Amber arched an eyebrow at the duo, unimpressed. She then shot Darcy a meaningful glance. The blonde had been trying to catch her attention all morning.

Darcy returned the gesture with a look of confusion, unable to tell what her friend wanted.

"I have to pee," Amber said bluntly, setting down her sandwich and latching onto Darcy's arm as she passed.

"I'd better supervise this," Mandy muttered, abandoning her sandwich as well.

"Women!" Drew exclaimed in mock annoyance.

Amber continued to drag Darcy into the women's restroom; a small hallway-like room that was always moist and smelled of mildew. Mandy soon followed suit.

"What was that for?" Darcy rubbed her arm where red marks the size of Amber's fingers were forming.

"Okay spill." She said, sitting down gingerly on the wooden plank which served as a bench.

"There's nothing to spill!" Darcy retorted indignantly. Mandy and Amber shared a knowing glance.

"You and Tom." Amber explained, "Are you guys a thing?"

"What? No!" Darcy hissed, glancing around to make sure that Loki was not eavesdropping on their conversation. Her cheeks pinkened at the thought of him hearing what Amber had said.

"You're blushing," Mandy pointed out from where she was leaning against a sink.

"So you like him, then?" Amber jumped upon the opening.

"Look, I don't have to have this conversation with you." Darcy moved to leave.

"Well, he likes you."

Darcy stopped in her tracks. She slowly turned to face the smug blonde.

"You mean you haven't noticed?" Mandy sighed, "Girl, _I've_ noticed it."

"What do you mean?" Darcy narrowed her eyes.

"He was totally checking you out when we were playing basketball," Amber said. Mandy nodded in agreement.

Darcy knew for a fact that she was turning all shades of red.

"Okay, say I believe you," She played with the tips of her half-dry hair, "Then what?"

"Jump his bones, Darce!" Amber's cat-like eyes studied her reaction, "Have some fun for once!"

"Whatever." Darcy pursed her lips and made her escape. She squinted, allowing her eyes to readjust to the relentless New-Mexico sun.

"Cut it out! Give me my manga back!" she was able to make out the shape of Chris, standing on a lounge chair, holding a book out of Drew's reach.

"Say it!" Chris yelled, dodging Drew's desperate attempts to retrieve it, "Admit you're a Weeaboo!"

"I am not a Weeaboo, I'm an Otaku!" came Drew's indignant reply, "There's a difference!"

Chris' jeers were cut off as his foot fell through the lounge chairs' frame. He struggled momentarily before falling flat on his face. Loki's shoulders shook with laughter at the spectacle.

Darcy chuckled to herself. Perhaps she would take Ambers advice.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello friends! So, this is one of the few chapters that I had written ahead of time. Its also one of the few that My Editor did not edit. Shout out to** KittyPurryHGHP **for editing, by the way! Check out her stories; shes a much better author than I am! Thanks for reading! ;P**

Darcy opened her eyes and found herself lying on the pavement outside of the lab in Puente Antigua.

"What the hel-"She gasped at the sight before her. She had somehow transported to some apocalyptic version of Puente Antigua. The sky was blood red and the air carried the thick scent of smoke.

Fears icy claws held a vice like grip on her heart. It twirled her stomach into knots and squeezed her lungs, causing breathing to become a laborious task.

"Help me!" Darcy immediately sat up. That sounded like Amber.

"Please! Save us!" Mandy screamed in agony. Darcy's head whipped toward the source of the noise but she found herself alone.

"No! Stop!" She began to recognize more and more of the pleas; Drew, Chris, the hot barista from Starbucks. All of the people who mattered most.

"Darcy, where are you?" Her brothers yelled frantically.

"No! Please no!" Her mother's wail of despair pierced the air. Darcy paused. She remembered that particular shriek. Her mother had screamed those words that day when a policeman showed up on the front steps of her childhood home.

"I'm sorry!" Darcy sunk to the ground, covering her ears with her hands. The screams still assaulted her ears, working their way into her skull.

"Darcy!" She looked up. Jane Foster was crouched behind a pile of rubble. Darcy cried out in relief, only to be silenced by a metallic scrape. Her blood froze in her veins.

A massive automaton came into view. The ground shook with its every step. Darcy could not move. She was forced to watch in horror as the gigantic machine's face opened up, revealing a fiery inferno inside. One flash of light and all that remained of Jane Foster was a scorched imprint on the rubble behind her.

Darcy could not move. She couldn't shriek, she couldn't cry. This could not be real.

"Darcy." The voice belonged to Erik Selvig. Darcy turned her head slowly to face him, but she soon discovered that the voice had not come from her friend. The man pinned beneath what used to be a coffee shop wore a white-collar shirt and a purple tie. His maple syrup eyes reflected his kindly smile. He had not changed at all since the day Darcy last saw him.

"Dad?" She choked out just as the silver monster turned its burning gaze on the trapped man.

"Bye, sweetie." He said; his last words to her. No. Darcy would not lose him a second time. She leapt to her feet, throwing herself in front of the automatons path. Watching her from the glowing cavity were a pair of icy blue eyes. They remained cold and unforgiving as they watched her burn.

Darcy's eyes flew open. She saw her terrified gaze reflected in a pair of ice blue eyes. Loki was leaning over her. He had pinned her arms to the bed in an attempt to keep her from flailing in her sleep. Upon realizing that she was awake, he released her, sitting back on his haunches.

"Sorry, I was worried that you were going to hurt yourself." He explained, blushing slightly. Darcy's hair was plastered to her face with sweat and her calf was cramped from her convulsions. She fingered a stinging cut just above her eyebrow.

"Thanks." She muttered. Silence yawned around them, save for the buzzing of the AC unit beside the bed.

"Are you okay?" Loki asked. Darcy thought for a moment. Was she?

"I'm not entirely sure." She answered honestly. Her lower lip quivered. She couldn't stop the tears which burst forth.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked, surprised by her unexpected display of emotion.

"Famous last words." Darcy sniffled, trying to regain control.

"Well whatever happened, you're safe now." He said, pulling her close, "I won't let you get hurt." The gesture caused Darcy to lose control of her emotions again. She hated herself for clinging to his shirt like a small child, and yet she couldn't seem to let go of the thin material.

"I'm such a mess." She laughed in an attempt to make light of the present situation. She wiped tears from her eyes, grasping weakly for what little dignity she had left. It was then that she noticed the bleeding scratches across Loki's face, not to mention the bruise beginning to shadow his left eye.

"Did I do that?" she gasped, mortified.

"It turns out that you are a lot stronger than you look," Loki grimaced. His affirmation caused Darcy to sob anew.

"No, it's okay!" Loki waved his hand in front of his face, causing all of the injuries to disappear, "Magic, remember?" Darcy had not, in fact, remembered, but she wasn't going to let him know that.

"God, I was so scared," Her voice was practically a whisper, bordering hysteria, "Everything was gone! My family, my friends, everyone was dying and I couldn't do anything about it and my Dad-"

Soft lips pressed against her own, prevented her from speaking further. Darcy's eyes widened in surprise. So many emotions played through her head; shock, confusion, hope, joy, so much joy. She closed her eyes and decided to enjoy the moment until Loki pulled away, much to her disappointment.

"Forgive me," He murmured, "That was out of line." Darcy kissed him in response, throwing caution to the wind. She craved human contact.

"Better?" Loki asked once they broke apart. His smirk was playful and yet his voice suggested a more serious tone.

"A little," Darcy admitted begrudgingly.

"Well, in that case, I'll let you sleep," Loki rose to make a hasty retreat, realizing the potential implications of his actions, "good night Darcy, call me if anything else happens."

"Wait." Darcy said, surprising them both. She studied the sheets below her as though they were suddenly the most interesting thing in the universe.

"Could you stay? Just in case?" she squeaked. Her cheeks burned at her brazen request. "Please."

It turned out that was all she needed to say. Loki sat next to her on the bed.

"Do they have bedtime stories in Asgard?" Darcy mumbled sleepily, leaning against Loki's thin frame for support.

"We have a few," He stared at the ceiling thoughtfully, "My Mother used to tell me the tales of our history."

"Can you tell me some?" Darcy yawned. Loki sighed, leaning against the headboard.

"Eight hundred years ago, when the galleys of bold Norsemen were scudding through storm and mist…"


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello all! So yea, I've been on vacation for the past few weeks so I haven't been able to upload anything. Its summer break now so *** ** _hopefully*_** **I'll be able to upload more often. No promises though. :P Thanks for reading!**

The sun had not fully risen the next morning when Darcy opened her eyes. She recalled the previous nights' incident and cringed.

"Idiot!" she grimaced, massaging her temples. She couldn't remember precisely when she had succumbed to sleep, but she was pretty sure that the damage had been done. She ran her fingers through her stringy hair before falling back onto the bed. She had noticed when she woke that Loki was no longer beside her, although it seemed that he had not been gone for long, as his side of the mattress was still warm.

She slid one pale leg, and then the other, off of the bed, rising to her feet with a groan. Her muscles ached in protest as she shuffled toward their shared bathroom. She turned the shower on with a hollow sounding creak. She stared at her reflection in the mirror as the small room filled with moisture. Her eyes were still puffy with sleep and her hair was greasy and stringy. A zit was beginning to form on her left cheek. Darcy glared at the offending mark with disdain, praying that it hadn't been there the night before.

Before long, the mirror turned cloudy with condensation, and the air was thick and steamy. Darcy wasted no time showering; she had never understood why some girls took such lengthy, lavish showers. Quite frankly, she thought that spending money on all manner of soaps and rinses was a waste. Hygiene was one thing but frivolities were quite another.

She dressed and spun her wet hair into a braid before waltzing into the kitchen, where she was met with the rich scent of coffee. Loki had already been there, then. She poured herself a cup and made her way toward the back deck, where the sun was rising over the lake. It was there she found the raven-haired god, perched on the railing. Darcy joined him tentatively, unsure whether her presence was welcome or not.

"Be careful," She admonished, setting her cup down next to her, "If you fall, Jane is going to kill me."

Loki made a noncommittal noise and clutched his mug tighter.

"So, um, last night." Darcy began, "Thanks… I guess." Loki simply nodded in response, either not paying attention or unsure of what to say next. Darcy was floundering. She was hiding in bits of conversation; every lapse left her feeling exposed.

A group of kids galloped past, racing each other to the lake shore. Loki's wistful gaze followed them as they disappeared around a bend in the road.

"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Darcy inquired, swinging her legs back and forth.

"I suppose I miss the innocence of childhood," He paused, then admitted, "And I miss my mother."

Darcy was stunned. Whatever she had expected him to say, it was not this personal admission.

"What's she like?" Darcy asked, genuinely curious about this woman whom he clearly held in high esteem.

"She's very beautiful," He said, smiling at some unseen force in the distance, "And intelligent; she taught me how to use magic."

"She sounds wonderful." Darcy leaned against his shoulder.

"She is," Loki amended, beginning to relax, "She is strong in ways I never could be." Darcy smiled. He clearly loved her very much.

"That's the kind of mother I'd like to be, you know, whenever that happens." Darcy took a deep sip from her cup, waiting for a response that never came, "Um, your line is 'yea Darcy, you'd be a great mother.'"

"If you say so." Loki smirked, earning himself a shove.

"Well, for the record I _was_ going to say that you would make a pretty good Dad, but now..." the expression that crossed Loki's face brought her to a screeching halt midsentence. Clearly she had touched a nerve. What had she said that brought on such a look of anguish? Then a thought occurred to her. But surely he would have told her…

"Uh, Loki…" She said against her better judgment, "Do you, erm, have any kids?"

Loki grew very still. Darcy mentally smacked herself. _Stupid, stupid, stupid…_

"I have a son." He said softly. Darcy let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Oh." She said simply. She tried to make sense of the pit of jealousy that was welling up in her stomach. Could she be envious that he had the unconditional love given by ones child? That he had the happy family that she had always wanted? _'That someone else got to him first.'_ Darcy blushed, pushing that thought to the far reached of her mind.

"What's his name?" She asked, trying to diffuse the otherwise awkward situation.

"Slepnir." Loki smiled absentmindedly, replaying old memories behind his eyes.

"That's a sweet name." Darcy said, a note of hesitation in her voice, "Well, I'm sure that you're a great father." Loki let out a nervous chuckle.

"I apologize for misleading you, but I am not Slepnirs father." He wouldn't meet her curious gaze.

"Well, someone's feeling mysterious this morning." She joked when he didn't elaborate, "Okay, I'll guess. Well, it's not like you're his mother, so we can rule that one out…" His piercing blue eyes locked onto hers suddenly.

"We _can_ rule that out, right?" Her confidence wavered as his face betrayed the answer, "You're kidding!"She leaned back as far as the railing would allow while still maintaining balance. A thousand questions played through her mind, though none of which would have been appropriate to ask. Loki sat in silence as he watched the gears turn in her mind, daring her to judge him.

"Anything else I should know?" She asked warily. Darcy wasn't sure how many more shocking revelations she could take in one morning.

"I am Slepnirs Mother," Loki stated cautiously, "And Slepnir is an eight-legged horse."

Darcy spent an entire minute trying to process what the Azgardian had said, and whether he was serious or not. Meanwhile, Loki's eyes begged for her acceptance.

"That must have been a pretty crazy night." Darcy shrugged finally. Loki nearly fell off of the railing in shock. He began to laugh like a man who had never expected to do so again.

"Indeed it was Darcy," He said amidst his laughter, "Indeed it was."


	11. OVA 1

**Hey guys. Happy Fourth of July! I wanted to start off by saying that one of the reasons why I love this site to much is that it is international and that you can track where your views are coming from. It brings people together through a common interest. I understand that I have some viewers from countries rocked by horrific attacks, and I wanted you to know that our hearts are with you.**

 **Quick disclaimer: this chapter is separate from the rest of the story. It's just a special thing that I wanted to do to celebrate the holiday and perhaps end my writers block.**

 **Thank you and enjoy!**

000

"That's an interesting choice of dress." Loki commented from the couch, eyeing Darcy's outfit. She wore a navy blue tank top and jean shorts which appeared to have bits of the American Flag stitched onto the front. Shiny silver stars hung from her ears like a cascading galaxy and she had tied her hair up with a red hair tie. In her hand she held a pair of red high-heels.

"We got invited to a party." She said, ignoring his sarcasm.

"Oh?" Loki set the book that he was reading down on his chest, attentive.

"Amber said that a friend of hers is having a house party and that everyone can bring a plus-one." She beamed in Loki's direction.

"House party?" Loki cocked an eyebrow.

"Relax, it's just a party at someone's house," Darcy said, busying herself with her earrings, which had become entangled with her hair, "We'll probably play cards against humanity and mess around with sparklers." Loki squirmed under her watchful eye. He was loath to say no, but perhaps being surrounded by unfamiliar mortals wasn't the best of ideas.

"Too extreme for you?" Darcy smirked, clearly hoping to elicit a reaction.

"No." Loki said, peeved that she was actually getting to him, "I'm just tired, and maybe being in a crowd isn't the best-"

"You don't really have a choice." Darcy said calmly, "Jane and Eric specifically said that I was to keep you with me at all times."

Loki frowned. Of course she would listen to Jan and Eric now that it worked in her favor. Darcy's face was triumphant, as though she knew that she had won.

"Come on! It'll be fun!" Darcy grinned, grabbing Loki's wrist and pulling him to his feet, "Besides, how many people could there possibly be?"

000

"Okay, so I misjudged how big the party was going to be." Darcy lamented as the pair observed the area. Music blasted from a stereo on the deck. It seemed that hundreds of people were moving to the beat. One man, who was shirtless and wore an eagle mask over his head, shouted ''MURICA' before jumping into the pool, which cast everyone in a turquoise glow. The crowd cheered in delight as he surfaced with a whoop. The sea of bodies wore all manner of red, white, and blue; some even went so far as to pin a flag to their shoulders like a cape.

"Think you can deal with this much freedom in one place?" Darcy joked, nudging Loki with a particularly sharp elbow.

"Darcy, I have fought entire armies," Loki grimaced, rubbing his arm, "I think I can handle a few drunk college kids."

"Okay then, if you say so." Darcy said, a look of mischief in her eyes, before she disappeared into the crowd.

"Darcy!" Loki called, "DARCY!"

"Hey there." Loki felt a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged the hand off, turning to see a petite blonde standing just beside him.

"Oh." He breathed, "Hi Amber."

"Chill, Britain, I'm not going to tar-and-feather you." She grinned, "Did you just get here, too?"

"Yes." Loki said, beginning to relax, "Are the others here?"

"Nah, just me and Mandy tonight," She said, flipping her hair over her shoulder, "Speaking of which, you haven't seen her, have you?" Loki wracked his brain, trying to picture her kinky hair among the crowd.

"I don't believe I have." He said apologetically.

"Whatever," Amber leaned on the deck railing, "I'll find her eventually." She pulled a cigarette from her back pocket and lit it.

"Well, I'll talk to you later." Loki said, beginning to feel uncomfortable. He gathered up his courage and braved the crowd.

He passed by at least three bonfires, but Darcy's face was not one of those illuminated by their light. There appeared to be a dance-off of sorts next to the food table. He thought that he saw her hair swish in the center of the melee, but it turned out to be a very disgruntled male.

Loki finally stumbled upon an eddy in the crowd. It was there that he found Mandy, tangled with a girl whose blue hair fell down her back like a waterfall.

He knew that he was blushing profusely as he backed back into the crowds, praying that he hadn't been seen. He ended up backing straight into Darcy. She fell back with a groan.

"I've been looking all over for you!" She said through her teeth. Loki extended a hand to her, which she took begrudgingly.

"Ow!" She gasped, wincing as she put weight in her left foot, gesturing at the shoes she was wearing "These damn heels!"

"Are you okay?" Loki asked, steadying her with a concerned hand.

"I... I think so," She said, testing her foot, "The fireworks are about to start."

"Fireworks?" Loki's words were punctuated with a huge _boom_.

"It's starting!" Darcy grinned, leading him back into the crowd.

It was incredible. Reds, blues, and silvers streaked across the sky like they had been painted there. Loki turned to tell Darcy how amazing it was only to discover that she was frowning.

"What's wrong?" Loki had to shout to be heard above the clamor.

"I'm too short!" Darcy shouted back, "I can't see and I can't stand on my toes to see because of my ankle."

"Here," Loki sighed, bending over. Darcy raised an eyebrow. "Get on."

"Seriously?" She asked, "No I coul-"

"Just do it," Loki rolled his eyes teasingly, "It's better than hearing you whine about it all night."

Darcy looked caught between wanting to see and smacking the smirk off of his face, however the former won out. She slid her heels off before hopping on. Loki swayed a bit, offset by the added weight. Darcy clasped her hands around his neck, resting her chin on his head. They both turned their eyes to the sky, where the show was just beginning.

Somewhere along the line, someone began a rousing chorus of _The Star Spangled Banner_ , and eventually the entire party was singing.

"And the rockets' red glare," Loki heard Darcys raspy voice drifting down from her position on his back. The man with the eagle mask was now running through the crowd, fueling them further. Loki chuckled at the scene.

"You mortals sure seem to like this holiday." Loki shouted to Darcy. The girl in front of them eyed him suspiciously.

"Of course we do!" Darcy shouted back, "It's the birthday of the land of the free!"

 _The land of the free,_ Loki thought with a smile. Perhaps he too could find freedom here.


	12. Chapter 11

**I have been sitting on this one forever. I'm finally getting to some actual plot stuff! Thanks for reading! :)**

Darcy tip-toed around the side of the lake house. It had been days since Loki's confession, and, for the most part, they had managed to avoid each other. Loki spent most of this time reading the books he had discovered that first day in the house; _Moby Dick_ , _Romeo and Juliet_ , and _King Lear_ were among his favorites so far, and he went around quoting them every chance he got. Most of the awkwardness had since died down, though Darcy still blushed sometimes when they met in passing.

 _But that's all going to change today._ Darcy grinned at the prospect. She missed the closeness they had shared before, closeness that could have been on the verge of becoming something more before she screwed it all up. Grand gestures of affection weren't usually her style, but she suspected that Loki of all people would appreciate this. In her hand lay the perfect water balloon, its shining red surface glinted in the sun.

She padded down the trail to the lake itself and spotted Loki, who was standing at the edge of a dock. _Target acquired_. Darcy smirked.

She ducked behind a tree, stepping on a stick in the process. The sound was like a gunshot ricocheting through the cool serenity of the lake. She froze, watching in horror as her target turned to investigate.

Darcy barely dared to breathe as he scanned the once again quiet landscape, eventually resuming his study of the sunrise. Darcy relaxed. That was a close call.

She crept out from her hiding spot. _Now or never._ Suddenly, she gave a war cry and chucked the water balloon at Loki. It flew through the air in slow motion, and, just as it was about to hit home, the target twisted, deftly catching the balloon as he hit the ground, rolling into a kneeling position in the same motion. He grinned, presenting the now-frozen water balloon to her on bended knee.

"M'lady." He said with a cheeky bob of his head.

"You're no fun." Darcy sulked.

"Am I, now?" Loki raised a confident eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes, which were now directed above Darcy. She followed his gaze only to discover the water balloon in its liquid state, now perched just above her head.

"OH SHI-"She was cut off by a flood of ice-cold water. She wiped water from her eyes as Loki doubled over with laughter.

"Your face!" He cried gleefully, rising to his feet, "It was priceless!"

"Oh, you think that was funny, do you?" Darcy's face contorted into an evil smile. She lunged forward and caught Loki around the waist, the force behind the blow sending them both into the lake. She rose to the surface, giggle-gasping.

"That was epic!" She breathed to Loki, who surfaced beside her, "Oh I wish I'd got that on film!"

She paused, feeling her pockets. A look of worry had washed over her.

"Crap!" She could feel the blood draining from her face, "My Ipod! It was in my pocket! It must have fallen out when I…"

She shoved her head underwater before finishing her thought. Most of the water in the lake came from snow-melt, causing it to be especially pure. She had crystal clear view of the pulsating weeds below. A few surprised fish scattered in her wake, and a crawdad waved its claws lazily. A steep drop-off yawned open a few feet away. There was no sign of the silver electronic. She broke the surface in a flurry of bubbles.

"Nothing?" Loki asked with concern. Rivulets of water still flowed down his neck and dripped from his face. The sunlight was angled just so, causing the droplets that clung to his hair to glimmer as though he were covered in diamonds.

"Darcy?" His voice held a hint of exasperation. Darcy snapped to attention, remembering the Ipod.

"No, nothing." The tips of her ears burned, "The bottom slopes off, I think it might have gone over the edge."

"Let me see." Loki was gone with a splash before Darcy could stop him, sending a sheet of freezing water over her.

"Elegant!" Darcy yelled in annoyance despite the fact that the god could not hear her. She wiped her eyes, quite certain now that she had mascara running down her face. _Typical._

She waited. One minute, two minutes, nearly three minutes had gone by when Darcy began to worry. She told herself that he was not human; that maybe Asgardians could hold their breath for longer periods of time. Four minutes ticked by when she finally made up her mind.

"He so owes me for this." Darcy muttered as she drew in a breath and dove. Using the weeds as anchors, she swam to the edge of the abyss. Before her stretched a massive underwater canyon. She frowned as she scanned the landscape for any sign of Loki. _I swear, if he got eaten by a shark or something…_

Darcy shook that thought out of her head. Of course he hadn't been eaten by a shark. Sharks lived in salt water. Right?

Darcy's suspicions were dashed when she noticed a piece of the grey fabric from Loki's shirt snagged on a rock outside of what appeared to be a cave. _Oh well, he's dead, no point in looking for him anymore._

She popped to the surface, panting from lack of oxygen. Ominous looking caves were close to the top of her 'nope' list, trumped only by large spiders and dark attics. She immediately felt guilty for even considering leaving her friend. She shrieked in anger, knowing that she could never just abandon him if there was even a slim chance that he was still alive. _And if he is, then I'll kill him myself._

She found herself swimming down toward the cave, pausing just before entering to grab the shred of fabric and stuff it in her pocket. Gingerly feeling the walls for hand-holds, she pulled herself inside with a grimace. To her horror, she realized that she kept getting sucked farther into the cave. Her palms burned as they were dragged against the rough rock walls. She frantically tried to back herself out of the cave, every push was murder to her ragged palms.

Her feet hit rock. A surge of terror ran through Darcy as she tried desperately not to panic. The tunnel behind her had sealed off. She was trapped.


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey, I'm back. So, school has started, so I'll most likely be posting less. But if its any solace, this is my longest chapter yet! Thanks for your continuing support! :)**

"Heya, Pumpkin!" Dan Lewis beamed at his daughter as he swung her in his arms.

"No, Daddy, put me down!" The six year old tried to sound indignant but was failing miserably.

"Sorry Darce." Dan couldn't help but grin. The girl had decided to wear her flouncy purple tutu and gaudy plastic tiara. Her thin caramel hair was up in a messy, off-center pony tail that she had clearly done herself.

"No, I am _Princess_ Darcy!" She puffed out her chest, making her look more like a penguin than a princess.

"Oh, excuse me Your Highness." He bowed low.

"Darcy, your father's had a long day," Amelia Lewis, still in her dentist's scrubs, rounded the corner. She kissed her husband on the cheek, "How was the office?"

"Hectic." Dan loosened his tie and hung his coat on a rack beside the front door, "How was your day?"

"Much better now that I'm home." Amelia sighed, patting Darcy on the head, "Hey sweetie, I made you some chicken nuggets. Why don't you go eat so that I can take you over to Katie's?"

"Yay!" The six year old grinned from ear to ear, dashing for the kitchen.

"Katie's?" Dan raised an eyebrow.

"Darcy's going to a friend's house tonight," She smiled deviously, "So we have the house to ourselves."

"Oh?" Dan grabbed his wife's waist, pulling her closer.

"Dan!" She swatted his arm in play annoyance.

"Sorry," he said, opting for a quick peck instead, "But can you really blame me? I mean when a man has a wife as gorgeous as you-"

"All done." Darcy appeared from the kitchen. It appeared that she had stuffed all of the chicken nuggets into her mouth at once.

"That was fast!" Amelia rested her hands on her hips, "Did you finish _everything_?"

"Yep." The girl paused.

"Even your carrots?" her mother inquired. Darcy weighed her options, eventually deciding to finish the carrots rather than pick a fight.

"She got that from your side." Amelia frowned. Dan chuckled. He had never particularly liked vegetables, a trait it seemed he had passed on to his daughter.

"Well it's a good thing she has such a good mother to keep her in check." He patted her arm.

"Okay Romeo." Her eyes glimmered as she moved to grab her coat, "Save it." She paused for a moment, staring at the coat rack.

"Damnit!" She exclaimed suddenly, "I left my coat at the office!"

"Don't worry, I'll go get it while you take Darcy to her friend's house." Dan rested a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder.

"No, its fine, I'll just get it on Monday-"

"No, it's freezing outside," Dan said gently, "It's almost Christmas for heaven's sake. You'll need it if we're going to get the tree tomorrow."

"You're right," Amelia sighed, "Thanks."

Minutes later Amelia was taking Darcy to her friend's house and Dan was navigating his way to the dentist's office.

He glanced at the directions his wife had written down for him. He had simply to cross a bridge over the lake and make a right at the gas station. _I'll be back before she's even dropped Darcy off._

Feeling confident in his own abilities, Dan glanced back up at the road, only to find himself staring down a massive stag. He let out a yelp of surprise and jerked the wheel violently right. Suddenly the car was airborne; he had driven right off of the bridge and into the lake. The front windshield cracked from the initial impact and water was gushing in.

The car let out a metallic groan. Dan could feel himself begin to hyperventilate. Water was rapidly filling the car, and the way he had landed, he couldn't open up the driver's side door. Without thinking, he unbuckled himself and pushing on the passengers door. It opened, causing a flood of water to surge into the vehicle. Dan was trapped. Trembling in fear, he watched the water pool around his neck. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. His lungs screamed for air, but the water was too high. The sudden realization that he would never see Darcy or Amelia again gave him a renewed surge of energy. He swam desperately for the open car door, but the frigid water was getting the best of him. His vision blurred and his chest felt like it was going to explode. He couldn't feel his limbs and he knew that it was too late. Surrendering to the cold, he closed his eyes, relinquishing control.

000

Darcy's eyes shot open. She would not die like him. Swimming forward, she searched for an exit, but the tunnel seemed never-ending. Suddenly, by some divine intervention, a firm hand reached out and grabbed her, pulling her to the surface.

She sputtered, gasping like the room was running out of oxygen. Water spilled off of her and pooled on the stone floor beneath her.

"Jesus!" she gasped weakly. The Asgardian stared at her with concerned eyes. He too was soaked.

"Sorry to disappoint," He said, his voice sounded flat, "But it's just me."

"Not what I meant, d-dumbass." She grimaced as she waited for the room to stop spinning.

"You scared me!" he chided, gently helping Darcy to her feet.

" _I_ scared _you_?" she managed through the chills, "S-sorry I swam down here to save your ass. Why is it s-so cold?"

"It's the shock of being transported; your body isn't used to it." Loki explained, patting her back as she coughed up more water.

"Transported?" Darcy looked uneasy, "Transported where?"

"Uh," Loki wouldn't meet her eyes, "How about we wait on that one."

"Uh, how about we don't."

"Look, just trust me on this one." Why was he dodging the question? What could possibly be so terrible that he couldn't tell her?

"How can I trust you when you don't seem to trust me?"

"I said drop it!"

Darcy took a step back. She had never heard him raise his voice, much less at her. His eyes were as big as saucers, taken aback by his own lack of tact.

"I'm sorry." His voice was barely a whisper, "I only meant-"

"No, its fine," Darcy couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes, reeling from the discovery of this new side to her friend.

"I never expected to see this place again." He said, "I guess being back just stirs up… _unpleasant_ memories."

 _Oh._ Darcy's heart sank. That most likely meant that they were no longer in New Mexico. She could feel her pulse quicken. What if she never saw Jane and Eric again? What if she never set foot in Puente Antigua again? What if she died here?

She felt an anxiety attack beginning in the pits of her stomach. _Nonono not now._ It had been years since she last had one, but she remembered that they had been quite debilitating. What was it that she used to do?

 _Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone_. Repeating lyrics in her head always helped. Songs always took her out of the moment's panic, if she could just focus on one thing for long enough. _I'll be waiting, all that's left to do is run._ She hadn't done this since she was seventeen and she had been sent to live with her Catholic grandparents. They had just made her loose the nose ring.

 _You be the prince and I'll be the princess._ In hindsight, she couldn't believe that she had freaked over something so petty. Her mom had sent her away and her biggest concern was a stupid nose ring. _It's a love story, Baby-_

"Darcy?" Loki's voice snapped her out of her trance-like state.

"Just say yes!" She cried, finishing the lyrics out loud. Loki flashed her a concerned glance.

"Er, yes?" He said tentatively, unsure as to what he was agreeing to.

"Sorry," Darcy's cheeks began to heat up. No doubt he now thought she was insane, "It's a thing I do in stressful situations, or whatever."

"Ah," Lokis face relaxed and he moved to sit beside her, "Could you explain it to me? It sounds like something I could use."

She knew what he was trying to do. He was simply trying to distract her enough to forget her panic, even if it _was_ a lame excuse.

"Okay," She shrugged, "So, just think of your favorite song and focus on the lyrics. It's not a science or anything. I mean, I don't really know what you listen to, but I usually use Taylor Swift." She grimaced, "Because I wasn't basic enough already."

"Oh, I've heard of her!" Loki perked up, "She certainly has a lovely voice."

"Calm down, jeez," Darcy rolled her eyes, "And here I was thinking you weren't the type of guy to throw yourself at women's feet."

"I am not _throwing myself_ at anyone's feet!" His voice was full of reproach, "I just appreciate the music style!"

"Oh, you totally have a thing for her!" Darcy couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the thought, "You have to admit that 'Loki and Taylor' sounds a bit ridiculous."

"Yes," He said, he would have looked serious had it not been for the mischievous glint in his eyes, "But Tom and Taylor doesn't."

Darcy barked out a laugh, shoving her friend to the side, "Never going to happen."

She was loathe to admit it, but their light hearted conversation had calmed her down.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier." Loki said. A few strands of his hair had dried and were blowing gently in the breeze.

"Its fine," Darcy said quietly, "I shouldn't have pushed it."

"No, I allowed my fear to control my actions." He shivered.

"Hey, do you feel that?" Darcy cried, rising to her feet.

"All I feel is wind." Loki shrugged, watching Darcy warily.

"Exactly! And why would there be wind in a cave unless there was an exit somewhere?" She grinned, pleased by her own observations.

"Darcy, maybe we shouldn't-"But she was already tearing farther up the tunnel, following the faint light ahead of her. She could hear Loki's protests echoing in the cave behind her.

Suddenly, there it was. Darcy blinked as an onslaught of light assaulted her eyes. She gasped at the sight before her. They were on the side of a mountain, facing what appeared to be a massive city. Buildings like metal spikes ascended high above the streets, somehow making the city look both menacing and welcoming at once. Dark water sparkled below, reflecting the two moons- or maybe those were planets- resting in the sky.

At the center of it all, a massive structure which reminded Darcy of a pipe organ rose majestically. The whole building appeared to be gold, and it shined like nothing she had ever seen. Snow-capped mountains surrounded most of the city like imposing guardians.

"Are we where I think we are?" Darcy whispered in a reverential tone. She could sense Loki standing a few feet behind her, his unease radiating throughout the cavern.

"It would seem we've been transported to my realm." Loki's frown deepened and he took a few steps forward to be level with her, "Darcy Lewis, welcome to Asgard."


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys. So this chapter took a bit longer than expected to write, but now that I have a solid direction for where I want the story to go, it will hopefully go quicker. Take notes, Kids: Outlines are important. Enjoy!**

Asgard. Home. Hel. Loki supposed that they were essentially the same thing at this point. Regardless, he couldn't think of a single place where he wouldn't rather be than here.

"No way." Darcy breathed, taking in the sights of the landscape before her, "How do you suppose that happened?"

Of course, Loki knew exactly what had happened. He used to use portals such as this one to travel from realm to realm unnoticed. He thought he knew where they all were, but he must have missed this one.

"No clue." He said instead. She didn't need to know the details.

"This is like an episode of Doctor Who or something!" Darcy's emerald eyes lit up, lost amid delusions of grandeur.

"Probably." Loki was only half paying attention. Every muscle in his body was tensed and ready to run and his heart was pumping pure adrenaline. If he was caught here…

"Are you listening to me? Because you seem a bit preoccupied." Darcy folded her arms over her chest. Her eyebrows knit together in concerned, but her words held a trace of ice.

"Everyone here thinks me dead." Loki could feel a pit open in his stomach. He had never said those words out loud, and they hurt just as much as he imagined they would.

"Oh, well that's great then! We can go in there and everyone will be happy again right?" Her eyes were so wide and innocent, Loki wanted so badly to believe her.

"It's a bit more complicated than that." He said through gritted teeth. He could feel Darcy's gaze lingering on him before she ultimately decided to leave it at that. Something soft and warm pressed against his hand. Darcy leaned against his shoulder, squeezing his hand in her own.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, "It's my fault we're here. If I hadn't pushed-"Loki made a gesture of silence.

"Did you hear that?" He said in a low voice. _Surely they wouldn't be patrolling all the way up here…_

"Hear what?" Darcy looked uneasy. Loki couldn't be sure, but he was almost certain that he had heard footsteps. _Quick, think of a reason why we'd be up here._

"Darcy," He whispered, "You need to do exactly as I say, okay?" The brunette stared at him incredulously, a haughty reply clearly burned on her tongue. Loki reached up, caressing her cheek.

"Excuse m-"Darcy gave a small yelp of surprise as their lips crashed together. He allowed his hands to wander down her waist, where his fingers played with her belt loops. Slender fingers tugged at the hair at the base of his neck as his fingers traced patterns on the small of her back. She moaned softly into his mouth. Loki smirked internally; she _did_ enjoy this.

"Well, what do we have here?" His suspicions had been correct, then. He _had_ heard footsteps.

Loki leapt to his feet to face the sturdy man in the entryway of the cave. He felt his insides tense as he stood at attention, the way he had for his Father and high-ranking generals so many times before.

"Commander Gunnarr!" He could feel Darcy staring daggers at him from her position against the wall. He would most likely get an earful about how he had used her as cover later.

"It seems we've interrupted something." The Commander, a large man with wild, umber hair and ruddy cheeks, raised a bushy eyebrow at the two, his gaze lingering on Darcy, "Odin's beard, what you are wearing? Someone get this young lady a proper dress!"

Darcy's blush deepened as the three other soldiers on the patrol poked their heads around the corner to try to catch an eyeful. One sharp look from the Commander had all three scrambling to give Darcy their cloaks. She snatched one and wrapped it around herself, still radiating embarrassment.

"I don't believe we've met, boy." Gunnarr's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Where do you hail from?"

"Vanaheim, sir." Loki said without hesitation. He had, of course, had the forethought to alter his features so as to go unrecognized. It simply wouldn't do for the presumably deceased prince of Asgard to go gallivanting about the palace. His face was leaner and more weathered than it had been, and he now sported a short beard. His once-ebony hair was now strawberry blonde and cropped at the ears. The only feature he kept were his eyes, which blazed silvery blue. "My name is Erland."

"And the Lady?" One of the men, a low ranking lieutenant asked. He was a wisp of a man who would look menacing if not for his patchy beard.

"My apologies, the Lady Sigyn," Loki placed a protective hand on Darcy's shoulder, "Also of Vanaheim. We had assumed that there would not be patrols this far away from the city."

"Well that much is obvious." One of the soldiers snickered. Darcy blushed harder.

"Under normal circumstances, there wouldn't be," The Commander suddenly looked weary, and Loki caught the briefest glimpse of a man jaded to the horrors of war, "But you'll remember that we were invaded just weeks ago."

"By frost giants no less!" The Lieutenant – Halvar, if Loki remembered correctly- spat in disgust. Loki flinched. He did remember; he had been leading it.

"But no doubt that's why the two of you are here," Gunnarr said, the words seemed to bring him strength, "We need all the help we can get! In fact, we were just heading back to the city, we will escort you." It was less of a suggestion and more of an order. Loki bit back words of protest as the patrol made their exeunt from the cave.

"You coming, _Erland_?" Darcy's voice was chilly. Clearly she had not forgiven him for his earlier performance.

"Yes, of course," Loki shook his head, frustrated, and followed her, " _Sigyn_."

000

Somewhere far away

"So the would-be prince has returned to Asgard."

"Indeed, my lord. His unforeseen return could be disastrous for your plan. "

"No, but it will need to be altered. We can use this to our advantage."

"But my lord-"

"He is still volatile, which means he can be swayed to our will. Visit his dreams tonight, I will have the gems, yet."

"As soon as the sun sets, my lord."


	15. Chapter 15

**Lets play, how bad can the author screw up the pacing this time! Because honestly, pacing is my major weakness. And character development. And remembering things I wrote in earlier chapters. Actually, I suck as an author, why do you guys read this, again?**

 **Anyway, I've been having motivation issues, as of late. I'm probably going to take a break from this story and start something new. I'm thinking Yuri! On Ice or Black Butler, what do you think? Suggestions would be appreciated.**

 **Also, I'm a Beta Reader, so yeah, that's a thing.**

 **I don't really know at this point, I just want to work out my pacing issues, and I think that will get better over time. Oh well, thanks for dealing with it thus far! - Raindropsonroses99**

000

"This is incredible!" Commander Gunntarr's patrol had dispersed in a bustling marketplace. Darcy, Loki, and Lieutenant Halvar were the last to depart.

"You think so?" Halvar sounded unimpressed.

"Are you kidding?" Darcy could feel her ADHD kicking in; there were so many things to look at! They were standing in front of a booth selling various shades of fabric woven with silver and gold designs. Beside it was a booth selling metal baubles. A woman whose face was etched with wrinkles dusted her vases, every move she made caused the tiny bells on her belt to clank together. A middle-aged man hawked his wares – sandals by the looks of it – from a muted green tent. Vendors and shoppers haggled over prices, children wove in and out of the crowd, and a dog barked somewhere in the distance. It was absolute chaos, and Darcy felt that she would burst from the sheer excitement of it all.

"I suppose that this is where I leave you." The Lieutenant ran his fingers through his ash-blonde hair, "I trust you know where you're going?"

"Yes we do," Loki said with a little more contempt than Darcy thought was necessary, "Thank you for your help."

"Anytime," Halvar's nose wrinkled in confusion at Loki's cool response before giving Darcy a curt nod and heading through the mele, in the direction of the palace.

"What was that for?" Darcy asked as soon as he was out of earshot. Loki was still glaring daggers into the back of the Lieutenants head.

"The way he kept _looking_ at you," He practically spat out the word, "Like you were a shiny new _thing_ for him to play with!"

"Really? I didn't notice." Darcy shrugged, "Besides, all the guys want a piece of this."

"It wasn't right." Loki clenched his jaw.

"You're one to talk about treating women like objects!" Darcy hissed, "That was a nice stunt you pulled back in the cave." Her eyes blazed at the memory. How dare he toy with her like that!

"Oh, that." He shuffled his feet, clearly uncomfortable, "We needed an excuse to be that far out of the city bounds, and it was the first thing that came to mind." He grimaced at Darcy's cold expression, "Granted, it wasn't a very good plan, but if I was wrong about the patrol, then at least-"

"What, you'd be alone in a cave kissing a beautiful woman?" Darcy cut him off, her frown deepened.

"I'd be alone in a cave kissing you." Loki corrected, flashing her a cheeky grin, though his eyes betrayed the truth behind his words.

"Okay, well now you owe me a tour of the palace." Darcy masked the terror his unexpected moment of vulnerability instilled in her with bluster. If it had been anyone else saying those words, Darcy would have laughed it off. This, however, was uncharted territory.

"I'm afraid you wouldn't make it past the front gate, dressed as you are." Loki pointed out, recovering from the rapid change in topic.

"Well, we should fix that, then, shouldn't we?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Indeed." Loki seemingly began to wander off, pausing when he realized that Darcy had no intention of following, "Well, come on then! Stop me when you see something you like."

"Can't you just magic me a dress or something?" Darcy folded her arms.

"I could," Loki admitted, "But there are those here who can detect my magic, and then we'd both be in trouble." Darcy rolled her eyes but followed, albeit begrudgingly.

They passed booths selling all manner of weapons, spices, and musical instruments. Darcy spotted seeing a vendor selling old books, which Loki had taken particular interest in. Perhaps she would return later and buy him one, after all, he _had_ saved her on multiple occasions, though she would never admit this to him out loud.

"There!" Darcy stopped suddenly, pointing at a lavender dress she spotted on a rack. She stroked the fabric reverently, marveling at its softness.

"You can try it on if you like," The young woman who ran the booth commented. She gestured to the tent-like structure behind her. Darcy begged Loki with her eyes, feeling like she was five years old again, pleading with her mother to let her get a new princess dress at the Disney store. Loki rolled his eyes, settling against a pillar to wait for her.

000

Darcy had all but forgotten how much she loved the feeling of not having to wear pants. Or a bra thanks to some strategically placed seams. There wasn't anything particularly striking about the dress; it was sleeveless, though the straps holding it up were wide enough to prevent an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction, which was a very real possibility considering its plunging neckline. It brushed the floor gently as she walked, hiding her out-of-place sneakers. Darcy hadn't realized it when trying it on, but the fabric shimmered subtly when she moved.

"I feel like a Greek goddess or something," Darcy commented. Puente Antigua wasn't exactly the type of place one went traipsing around in a floor length ball gown without reason, but Darcy decided that she would have to make a habit of it more often. Loki sighed, marching like a man on his way to the gallows.

"We're here." He mumbled. What was his problem?

" _This_ is it?" Darcy asked incredulously. They had left the marketplace behind, and civilization it seemed if the vacant streets they had walked for the last few minutes were any indication. Walls had appeared gradually over the course of their walk, though Darcy couldn't remember when. They now stood before a pavilion of sorts, it was made of ornately carved wood. It was beautiful, sure, but not palace-entrance worthy.

"It's the servant entrance," Loki answered the question forming on her tongue, "Sorry if you were expecting a grand golden archway."

 _Right, this is his house,_ Darcy mentally smacked herself for being insensitive, _probably shouldn't insult it._

A guard stood watch under the pavilion. He seemed to be having a conversation with a young woman barely half his size.

"Ah, reinforcements, I presume?" He said, as they ascended the steps.

"Yes, from Vanaheim," Loki dipped his head in acknowledgement, "I'm Erland and this is Sigyn."

"Well then, Sigyn, is it?" The man eyed Darcy in suspicion. She flashed what she hoped was a winning smile. What if they were found out? What if they got separated? If he saw that she was not a Vanir-

"Erika here will show you to your room," The guard smiled kindly, gesturing to the small woman next to him, who turned pale at the mention of her name. She gave a slight bow before heading down the corridor.

"Oh, but I-"Loki made a 'go' gesture to Darcy, who, still skeptical, followed Erika.

The woman led her through long hallways lined with pillars and massive wooden doors. Every once in a while, they would pass a balcony beyond which Darcy could catch a glimpse of a lush garden or men training. Occasionally, she would spot other women wearing blue robes similar to the ones Erika wore. Her mousy brown hair rolled gently over the folds of material which connected the shoulders of the dress, which was entirely turquoise and dusted the floor. It was made of a fabric that billowed around her feet as she moved, allowing her sandals to peek out with each step. Darcy had never been much of a blue person, but she had to admit that Erika wore the color well.

"Did you bring any trunks with you?" Erika asked in a small voice.

"No, I didn't," Darcy began to feel overwhelmed, "Was I supposed to?"

"There are dresses in your room, so it shouldn't be a problem." Erika shrugged before coming to an abrupt halt at another wooden door, though it was not nearly as grandiose as the ones she had seen earlier. She rapped on the door, behind which Darcy heard faint rustling and what sounded like someone falling.

"Ah! Damn dress!" A muffled voice yelled, "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

The door creaked open to reveal a frazzled-looking woman. Her kinky blonde hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and a bruise was forming on her left shoulder, but her amber eyes shone with excitement.

"Say, Erika, do I finally get a room-mate today?" She grinned, eyeing Darcy.

"Yes, actually." The brunette practically whispered.

"Finally!" She couldn't seem to contain her excitement any longer as she bounced on her toes, "I thought that I would die of boredom! I'm Eira!"

"D-Sigyn." Darcy's smile faltered as she fumbled to say her new name. Loki had coached her on how to pronounce it for at least half an hour. She mostly mispronounced Asgardian words to piss him off, but she was genuinely struggling with her new alias. _Of course he would pick one with, like, four consonants in a row._

"Sigyn! That's so pretty!" Eira beamed, "Unfortunately, I have an engagement I must attend, so we'll have to get to know each other later."

"Oh, okay." Darcy said meekly, not completely sure what to make of her new roomie, "I'll just get settled, then."

"Come on Erika! Walk with me!" The bubbly blonde grabbed the smaller girl by the wrist and whisked her down the hallway, "I'll see you tonight, Sigyn!"

"Bye..." Darcy felt weak. It was strange to see such an exuberant personality from the outside.

This was shaping up to be an interesting stay.


End file.
